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50b
{Shabbat 127a continues}
"TO MAKE ROOM FOR GUESTS OR ON ACCOUNT OF THE NEGLECT OF THE BETH HAMIDRASH":
For they are mitzvot.
For Rabbi Yochanan said: Hospitality to wayfarers is as 'great' as early attendance at the Beth Hamidrash.
And Rav Dimi {our gemara: of Nehardea} said: It is 'greater' than early attendance at the Beth Hamidrash, because he states, TO MAKE ROOM FOR GUESTS, and then returns and states, AND ON ACCOUNT OF THE NEGLECT OF THE BETH HAMIDRASH.
But not in the case of a mitzvah, no.
Rav Yehuda cited Rav: Hospitality to wayfarers is greater than welcoming the presence of the Shechinah, for it is written {Bereishit 18:3}:
| ג וַיֹּאמַר: אֲדֹנָי, אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ--אַל-נָא תַעֲבֹר, מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ. | 3 and said: 'My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. |
Rabbi Eleazar said: Come and observe how the conduct of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that of mortals. The conduct of mortals [is such that] an inferior person cannot say to a great[er] man, Wait for me until I come to you; whereas in the case of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written it is written {Bereishit 18:3}:
| ג וַיֹּאמַר: אֲדֹנָי, אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ--אַל-נָא תַעֲבֹר, מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ. | 3 and said: 'My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. |
{Shabbat 127b}
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: He who judges his neighbour in the scale of merit is himself judged favourably.
Thus a story is told of a certain man who descended from Upper Galilee and was engaged by an individual in the South for three years. On the eve of the Regel {one of the three Yomim Tovim - our gemara: Yom Kippur} he requested him:Give me my wages that I may go and support my wife and children.
He said to him: I have no money.
'Give me cattle.'
He said to him: I have none.
'Give me land.'
He said to him: I have none.
'Give me produce.'
He said to him: I have none.
'Give me pillows and bedding.'
He said to him: I have none.
[So] he slung his things behind him and went home with a sorrowful heart.
After the Festival his employer took his wages in his hand together with three laden asses, one bearing food, another drink, and the third various sweetmeats, and went to his house. After they had eaten and drunk, he gave him his wages (in his hand), and he said to him: When you said to me, "Give me my wages," and I said to you, "I have no money," of what did you suspect me?
'I said {=thought}, Perhaps you came across cheap merchandise and had purchased it therewith.'
'And when you said to me "Give me cattle," and said to you, "I have no cattle," of what did you suspect me?'
'I thought, they may be hired to others.'
'When you said to me, "Give me land," and I told you, "I have none," of what did you suspect me?'
'I thought, perhaps it is leased to others.'
'When you said to me, "Give me produce," and I told you, "I have none," of what did you suspect me?'
'I thought, perhaps they are not tithed.'
'When you said to me, "Give me pillows or bedding," and I told you, "I have none," of what did you suspect me?'
'I thought, perhaps he has sanctified all his property to Heaven.'
He said to him: By the [Temple] service! it was even so; I vowed away all my property because of my son Hyrcanus, who would not occupy himself with the Torah, but when I went to my companions in the South they absolved me of all my vows. And as for you, just as you judged me favourably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favourably.
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: It happened that a certain chasid {pious man} ransomed an Israelite maiden [from captivity]; at the inn he made her lie at his feet. On the morrow he went down, had a ritual bath, and learnt with his disciples.
He said to them: When I made her lie at my feet, of what did you suspect me?
'We thought, perhaps there is a disciple amongst us who[se character] is not clearly known to our Master.'
'When I descended and had a ritual bath, of what did you suspect me?'
'We thought, perhaps through the fatigue of the journey the Master was visited by nocturnal pollution.'
He said to them: By the [Temple] Service! it was even so. And just as you judged me favourably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favourably.
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: The scholars were once in need of something from a noblewoman where all the great men of Rome were to be found.
They said: Who will go to her?
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chanania said to them: I will go to her.
When he reached the door of her house, he removed his tefillin at a distance of four cubits, entered, and shut the door in front of them. After he came out he descended, had a ritual bath, and learnt with his disciples.
He said to them: When I removed my tefillin, of what did you suspect me?
'We thought, our Master reasons, "Let not sacred words enter a place of uncleanness".'
'When I shut [the door], of what did you suspect me?'
'We thought, perhaps he has [to discuss] an affair of State with her.'
'When I descended and had a ritual bath, of what did you suspect me?' 'We thought, perhaps some spittle spurted from her mouth upon the Rabbi's garments.' {which by rabbinical law affects levitical purity}
He said to them: By the [Temple] Service! it was even so; and just as you judged me favourably, so may the Omnipresent judge you favourably.
{Shabbat 128a}
"NOR LOF NOR CHARDAL":
The Sages learnt {in a brayta}: We may handle hatzav {Jastrow: a shrubby plant, probably cistus}, because it is food for gazelles, and mustard, because it is food for doves.
{See here:
In the Midwest, the oily seeds of Mustards are not popular with birds – apparently, they are more important as a food source for birds in California and the Pacific Coast. Occasionally, the Mourning Dove may eat the seeds.
}
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: We may also handle fragments of glass, because it is food for ostriches. Rabbi Natan said to him: If so, let bundles of twigs be handled, because they are food for elephants. And Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel? Ostriches are common, [whereas] elephants are rare.
Abaye said: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yishmael, and Rabbi Akiva, all hold that all Israel are royal children.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel - this that we have said.
{That is, he permits lof to be handled because it is food for ravens, which only wealthy people — who are the same as princes — kept.}
Rabbi Shimon, for we learn {tnan - in the Mishna on Shabbat 111a}: Royal children may anoint their wounds with rose oil, since it is their practice to anoint themselves thus on weekdays. Rabbi Shimon said: All Israel are royal children.
Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva, for we learnt {in a brayta}: If one is a debtor for a thousand zuz, and wears a robe a hundred manehs in value, he is stripped thereof and robed with a garment that is fitting for him. It was taught in the academy of Rabbi Yishmel: Rabbi Yishmael, and it was taught in the name of Rabbi Akiva: All Israel are worthy of that robe.
And we have established that all of these are of one rule, and the halacha is not like any of them.
(And we may not handle the mustard, for we establish like the stam Mishna.)
{Shabbat 126b}
MISHNA:
AS FOR BUNDLES OF STRAW, TWIGS, OR YOUNG SHOOTS, IF THEY WERE PREPARED AS ANIMAL FODDER, THEY MAY BE MOVED; IF NOT, THEY MAY NOT BE MOVED.
{Shabbat 128a}
A BASKET MAY BE OVERTURNED BEFORE FLEDGLINGS, FOR THEM TO ASCEND OR DESCEND.
IF A FOWL RUNS AWAY [FROM THE HOUSE], SHE IS PUSHED [WITH THE HANDS] UNTIL SHE RE-ENTERS.
CALVES AND FOALS MAY BE MADE TO WALK, AND A WOMAN MAY MAKE HER SON WALK.
R. JUDAH SAID: WHEN IS THAT? IF HE LIFTS ONE [FOOT] AND PLACES [ANOTHER] DOWN; BUT IF HE DRAGS THEM IT IS FORBIDDEN.
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